FIA makes last-minute change to Qatar GP weekend, including mandatory pit stops

Following Friday's running at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, the FIA and Formula One Management (FOM) announced that an additional practice session will precede the Sprint Shootout on Saturday.

READ |  How Max Verstappen can win the F1 title this weekend

These last-minute changes have been brought about due to safety concerns over the tyres, after the race organisers resurfaced the track and amended the curbs.

In a statement, the FIA said that it and Pirelli, Formula 1's tyre supplier, believe "a significant number of additional laps on these tyres could result in circumferential damage of the tyres with subsequent air loss, and tyres analysed with lower lap numbers showed a much-reduced extent of the issue."

Among the changes brought about are revised track limits at Turns 12 and 13. Because of this, a 10-minute "practice familiarisation session" will take place at 16:00 local time (15:00 SA time), allowing drivers to adjust to the revised track limits.

The Sprint Shootout will kick off at 16:20 - 20 minutes after the original scheduled time.

After the Sprint Shootout, Pirelli will analyse the tyre wear data from both the 10-minute session and the 19-lap Sprint Shootout. If the issue still needs to be resolved, new tyres used in the race may be at most 20 laps in the Grand Prix.

This number increases to 22 laps if used-tyres are fitted in the race to account for the in- and out-laps in qualifying. As such, drivers are required to perform at least three pit stops in the 57-lap race.